A Piece of Red ›Paper, by Sara Stein

What if you found a sheet of paper and turned it into wonderful food and a whole table full of good things? This book will inspire children to get creative.

Materials

Lots of paper in plenty of colors and textures.
Placemat pattern

Vocabulary

Creative (to think of something and then make it)

Before Reading the Story;

Hold up the cover of the book and read the title. Ask the children if they can guess what the story might be about. Ask them to name the shape. Can they tell if the shape has been cut by scissors or ripped? How can you tell? (The edges are not straight).

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; begins to recognize, describe, compare, and name common shapes, their parts and attributes.

Reading the Story

Bring a cut red circle to the story and follow the author as she makes an apple with a bite. Point out all the shapes and ideas as the story progresses. When the book asks “What would you do with a piece of red paper”, let the children share their ideas.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; begins to recognize, describe, compare, and name common shapes, their parts and attributes. AND Creative Arts/Art; begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences.

After Reading the Story

Play Jumping Bean! Cut a manila file into 1 inch strips. At the bottom of each strip draw a shape. On some of the strips draw a little lima bean shaped man. (for 20 children I would make 15 shape strips and 5 jumping bean strips). Put all the strips into a cleaned out can. The children take turns picking a strip. If they get a shape they must name it. If they get a bean man they shout “Jumping Beans!” and everyone jumps up and down. Continue until everyone gets a turn or two.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; begins to recognize, describe, compare, and name common shapes, their parts and attributes. AND Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns in games or using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.

Discovery;

Go on a shape walk and look for shapes in the world. What shape do you see on the chain link fence? What shape do you see in the sidewalk, on the car, or near the door?

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take shapes apart.

Music and Movement

Play Musical Chairs. Make two sets of shapes in a variety of colors. (2 red circles, 2 blue circles, 2 red triangles, etc). Bring enough chairs to the area, as there are children who are playing the game. Tape one color shape set to the back of the chairs, one per chair. Give the children the matching color shapes, one per child. Turn on the music and the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone must find the chair that has the correct shape and color on it and sit down. Have the children name the colors and shapes as you go around collecting them. Mix them up and play again. Do not take any chairs or children away. The concept is to find the shape and color that match the one you are holding.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; begins to be able to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size and shape.

Blocks

Encourage the children to make shapes with the blocks. How many blocks will it take to make a square? Can you find blocks to make a triangle? Can you find blocks to make a letter in your name?

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take shapes apart.

Art

Give the children lots of paper to cut and rip into a variety of shapes. Challenge them to collage them together to make an art picture.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take shapes apart. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Library and Writing

Put out pieces of colored paper with the color written across it. (green paper with the word green written across it). Encourage the children to find the same color marker and practice writing the color name on their own piece of white paper.

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their own name.

Sand and Water

Put small magnet shapes in the sand, if you do not have small shapes, cut them out of cardboard. Add sand to cover the shapes and give the children tongs, pinchers, tweezers to pick up the shapes and drop into a basket as they name.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Dramatic Play

Encourage the children to set the table putting the knives, spoons, and forks, in their proper places. Make placemats that the children can follow.

Social & Emotional Development/Control; develops growing capacity for independence in a range of activities , routines, and tasks.

Math and Manipulatives

Make weaving looms from paper for the children to use. Cut out strips of 1 inch wide paper in a variety of colors. Show the children how to take the strips and go under over, then over under.

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in abilities to persist in and complete a variety of tasks and activities. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, and behind.

Outdoor Play

Encourage the children to use sticks to draw shapes in the dirt or dampened sand.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take shapes apart. AND Literacy/Early Writing; experiments with a growing variety of writing tools and materials, such as pencils, crayons, and computers.

Transitions

Hold up a piece of paper and ask the children to name the color name and if they can think of an object that is the color.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Dear Parent- today we talked about shapes. Cut out a circle, a square, or a triangle from a piece of paper. Hand it to your child and encourage them to look about your home to find 3-5 items that have that shape as part of their structure. Try playing this shape game using several shapes.

Resources

The Hungry Thing, by Jan Slepian and Ann Seidler

When the Hungry Thing comes to town, he wants food! But the people are confused as to what to feed him. This is a fun book for the children to help solve the mystery of what the Hungry Thing wants to eat.

Materials

Hungry Thing container
Cut out circles (see directions at end)
Several colors of yarn

Vocabulary

Before Reading the Story

Tell the children that your story today is about rhyming words. Does anyone know what a rhyming word is? (2 words that sound the same). Let the children practice making rhymes to words such as log, bat, and dish. Introduce the story.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.

Reading the Story

As the little boy in the story begins to sound out the words that the Hungry Thing is trying to say, slow down and allow the children to see if they can find the correct answer.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in abilities matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems. AND Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story.

After Reading the Story

As you dismiss the children from the rug time, make up a silly rhyme that goes along with their name. Can they figure out whose name you are calling? Werry, Herry, Kerry! Pom, Dom, Tom!

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in abilities matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.

Discovery

Take a piece of food from your meal and put it in a baggie. Ask the children what they think will happen to the food if you left it out for a day or two? Let the children make predictions and then hang the baggie on the wall so that you can check it daily. (It’s gonna stink, that’s gross, it will get mushy, it will turn yellow).

Science/Scientific Methods & Skills; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations. AND Science/Scientific Methods & Skills; begins to describe and discuss predictions, explanations, and generalizations based on past experiences.

Music and Movement

Sing Rhyming Words Sound The Same sung to Here We Go Looby Loo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwPo1anFhXg

Rhyming words sound the same,

Rhyming words sound the same.

Rhyming words sound the same,

Rhyming words sound the same.

Now slowly chant; If I say log……you can say_______.

Repeat using different words to rhyme.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in abilities matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.

Do a rhyming name chant.

Paula, Paula, bo Boula. Bonana fana foe Faula. Me mi mo Maula, Paula!

Ryan, Ryan bo Byan. Bonana fana foe Fyan. Me mi mo Myan, Ryan!

Creative Arts/Music; participates with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music activities including listening, finger plays, games, and performances.

Blocks

Put several strips of masking tape onto the floor. Each should be a different length from 1-4 feet long. Encourage the children to lay blocks along the tapeline. How many blocks did it take to cover the line? Or have the child walk heel to toe down the line. How many steps did it take you? Which line is longest? Which line took the most blocks to cover? Why?

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and area of objects.

Art

Make one circle for each child (see Resources). Cut the circles from cardboard or poster board. Cut out slits about ¼ inch from edge towards center. Let the children cut bits of yarn to weave around the circle and slip into the slots. When the children are finished you can punch a hole into each circle and hang them from the ceiling.

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing patterns and shapes, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Sand and Water

Put damp sand and play pots and pans into the table today so the children can pretend to make food. As you pass by the center, ask the children to make you ‘thicken’ or ‘goup with whackers’. Encourage the children to make rhyming words as they play.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story.

Library and Writing

Tell the children that you want to play a joke on the cook today. Write on a piece of paper; Feed Me. Give the children each a piece of paper so that they can practice copying the letters. Then punch holes and add string. Have the children put on like bibs for lunch before the cook comes in with the food. Then the children can all say together, “We’re Hungry Things”!

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their name.

Give each child a piece of paper and a marker. Tell them that you are going to make Hungry Things. Ask them to first make a great big circle to be the head. With younger children you can do it with them and they can follow your drawn example. Put a long oval nose in the middle of the circle. Add two little eyes. Now give your Hungry Thing a great big mouth. Add some teeth and some curly hair. For older children you can show them how to write ‘Feed Me’ under their Hungry Thing.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multi-step directions. AND Literacy/Early Writing; experiments with a growing variety of writing tools and materials, such as pencils, crayons, and computer.

Dramatic Play

As the children play in the center today, encourage them to cook foods for the Hungry Thing. Ask them if they can make some ‘regehtti’ or ‘wackcaroni with meese’.

Math and Manipulatives

Put out play dough and a dice today. Or make cards with the numbers 1-6 written on them. Have a child roll the dice/pick a card and name the number. Then they roll that many playdough meatballs. Put out a small paper plate to stack the meatballs on to. When it is full let the children pretend to be Hungry Things. Count and eat (smash) the meatballs and begin again.

Mathematics/Numbers & Operations; begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

Outdoor Play

If you have a piece of equipment such as a slide, stop the children before they got down and say a word and have them make a rhyming word to it. The rhyme can be a real word or a made up word. Then pretend to open the gate so they may slide. Continue until the children loose interest.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in abilities matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.

Transitions

Attach the Hungry Thing face to a box or bag. Place many triangles, circles, and squares on the floor in front. Say the following poem and allow the children to take turns feeding the shape monster.

Shape Monster, Shape Monster

Munch, munch, munch.

What shape would you like for lunch?

(Make a monster voice and ask one child to feed a specific shape to the monster. “Alison, I would like a blue triangle please”. The child then finds the correct shape and feeds it to the shape monster. My children like this when the monster occasionally burps, says thank you or gracias”

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; begins to recognize, describe, compare, and name common shapes, their parts and attributes.

Dear Parent-today we played with many rhyming words both real and make believe. This is a part of literacy development that will be important to reading someday. We encourage you to make rhymes with your child and read books with rhyming words. Playing with rhymes helps your child to hear and decipher the sounds of letters and words.

Resources

Archibald’s Opposites, by Phil Vischer

This little story helps teach the concepts of opposites in a fun and silly way.

Materials

Opposite cards
Templates for basket, cucumber, and tomato
Roll of aluminum foil
Black and white paper

Vocabulary

Absurd (so crazy it doesn’t even make sense)
Opposites (two things that are totally different)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if they have ever heard the word opposites? Ask them to explain to you what it means. Give them the definition of opposites and ask if they can think of any. If they can not or they have finished doing so, introduce the book and say that this story will help us understand opposites better.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Reading the Story

As you read, pause on each page to see if the children can name the opposite. After you have read the page say, “____ and ____ are opposites. Have the children repeat.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare, and contrast objects, events, and experiences.

After Reading the Story

Make a set of the opposite cards. Give each child a card from half the set. Hold up a card from the second set and see if the children can figure out who has the opposite.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare, and contrast objects, events, and experiences. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spacial Sense; builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, behind.

Discovery

Show the children pictures of two objects/items. Ask the children to help you make a list of how they are alike/how they are different. (try bringing in a picture of a dog and a horse, a chair and a crate, bird and an insect, a worm and a snake)

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare, and contrast objects, events, and experiences. AND Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Music and Movement

Teach the children Everything I Always Say, to chorus of Pop Goes the Weasel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWGp9rsKuEU

Everything I always say,

You always say the opposite.

When I say open,

You say (closed).

(Continue with opposites that you and the children have been working on.)

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spacial Sense; builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, behind.

Sing the King of York and stand up and squat down as the song goes along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWWNFB8grkw

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Blocks

Challenge the children to build a pattern with the blocks using large and small blocks.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Art

Cut out a 12 inch sheet of aluminum foil. Put out a variety of shapes cut from only black and white paper. Encourage the children to collage onto the foil.

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.

Library and Writing

Make tracing templates out of a manila file folder for the basket, cucumber, and tomato. Have the children trace them and cut them out. Assemble the basket. Ask the children to glue one of the vegetables inside the basket and one outside the basket. Have them tell you which is in and which is out. Write it on the basket. (The tomato is in the basket, the cucumber is outside the basket).

Physical Health & development/Fine Motor Skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, behind.

Sand and water

Put sand in the table today. Make 56 1 inch cards from a manila file. Write a set of capital alphabet letters and a set of lower case alphabet letters. Mix them up into the sand and see if the children can match the upper and lower case letters as they dig through the sand.

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name.

Dramatic Play

Encourage the children to act out or make opposites while playing in the center today. (I can sit and I can stand, I put all the food in the fridge, I took all the food out of the fridge).

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Math and Manipulatives

Use counters with the children. Put 3 bears on the table. Ask the child if he can show you more. Ask her if she can show you less. Take a handful and have the child take a handful, can the child tell you who has more and less? Sort the bears by color, does one color have more or less than the other?

Mathematics/Number & Operation; begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as more, less, greater than, fewer, equal to.

Outdoor Play

Draw several large shapes on the sidewalk. Give the children bean bags and call out a shape. The child sees if he can throw his bean bag to land inside the shape.

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; demonstrates increasing abilities to coordinate movements in throwing, catching, kicking, bouncing balls, and using the slide and swing.

Transitions

The teacher says an opposite word and the child tries to name the correct response. In-Out, Under-Over, etc..

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Dear Parent- today we talked about opposites. This can be a confusing concept for young children but you can help by making a game out of it. Give your child a simple word/concept and ask them if they can think of the opposite. Some that we use in school are day-night, up-down, in front-behind, tall-short, young-old, near-far, and happy-sad.

Resources